Thicker Than Water
by Menamebephil
Summary: The Life And Times Of Joseph 'Jericho' Wilson. And Killowat. Oh yes. Part of Comicbookfan's contest, which everyone is welcome to challenge me as part of. Just talk to commi first. I need a challenge anyway.
1. Everyday Miracles

**Thicker Than Water.**

**Chapter 1: Everyday Miracles.**

Jericho walked down the silent streets, his large brown eyes scanning the darkness for potential troubles. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, a man standing cloaked in the shadows of an alley. It could be innocuous, but it wasn't likely. Not in this part of town. Jericho ducked into an alley mouth of his own and watched the man. Sure enough, as a teenage girl, maybe fifteen, walked down the street, Jericho noted the man's stance shift, readying him for combat. As the girl walked by, the man pulled out a knife whilst simultaneously grabbing the girl by the hand. Time to go to work.

As the man heard the sounds of the young hero's footsteps, he turned, instinctively using the girl as a shield. Somewhat nonplussed at the sight of a young blonde boy in unusual attire, the man decided that there was one easy way to get out of this.

"Alright kid, scram or she gets it." He emphasised his point by holding his knife to the terrified girls' throat. The boy said nothing, but a frown crossed his face, and he started to walk towards the would-be mugger. "Hey, kid, I ain't joking here, you turn around right now or-" The man never got to finish his threat, because at that moment he made the mistake of looking the youth in the eyes.

His victim wasn't quite sure what to make of the following events, and was unsure what had surprised her more; the fact that her rescuer had temporarily disappeared, or the fact that her captor had released her, before running full pelt into a wall, knocking himself out.

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Jericho smiled to himself. He remembered the first time he had tried that move. He had been fighting a solo enemy, a rarity for him, and he couldn't figure out how to restrain him. So, in desperation, he'd run himself into a wall. A pity he'd forgotten to phase out before impact…

But he'd made no such mistake today, and, in a small way, he was proud of himself. He turned back to the girl, and saw her shaking on the pavement. He saw her look at him, and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Thanks."

It's nothing, really.

The girl frowned, unsure as to why her rescuer was waving his hands like that. Maybe it was some kind of victory dance?

"What's your name?" She tried, unsure whether or not he had heard her.

Jericho.

"I…oh, sorry."

It's alright.

"Sorry, I don't understand sign language."

Jericho smiled again, and handed her a small card. Slightly puzzled, she took it from him and read it.

_Jericho._

_Teen Titan._

"You're a _Titan_? Wow, I didn't know there was a Tower near here!"

Jericho shook his head, and laboriously mimed to her that it was just him.

"Oh. Well, thanks for everything, but I gotta get home." She smiled at him, slightly nervously, a little intimidated by the silent youth, but he flashed a reassuring grin in return, and walked on into the night.

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Jericho slowly climbed the stairs to his apartment. It had been a long night. Two muggings, one attempted bank robbery, and a fire. A _fire_! Out of all the problems, it had to be one he couldn't deal with using his powers. Nonetheless, he had done what he could, and had a singed left sleeve to prove it.

He unlocked his door and walked him, turning on the soft lights as he did so. He sighed as he looked around. He was home.

Jericho's apartment was a veritable Shangri-La, with his living room turned into a kind of indoor garden, with plant pots, a fake grass floor, and a small orange tree in a large pot in the corner, under which sat a comfortable chair. In this chair, he reclined, and reached for his guitar. He always played after patrol, both to keep in practice, and to help him wind down.

D. A. B. F#. G. D. G. A. The chords washed over him, clearing his mind and relaxing him. As he began the melody, he felt his muscles unwind. Classical music. A back massage for the soul.

Suddenly, a tinny nine-note refrain- only a philistine could call it a _tune_- interrupted him, making him hit several wrong notes. He sighed and, carefully laying his instrument down in its stand, flipped open his communicator.

"Jericho? It's Robin. We need to talk."


	2. New Faces

**Chapter Two: New Faces.**

No.

"But Jericho, crime in this area is on the rise, and all the Titans I suggested need a Tower.

I said no.

"Why? You can't possibly manage a city the size of this one on your own. Even _Batman_ has others to help him."

They can come; I just don't want to join them.

"Why? You had no problems getting along with Herald when you two helped Beast Boy."

That was an emergency. Besides, how will I communicate with them?

"Herald's fluent in ASL, and he's teaching the others."

Jericho knew he was trapped. There was no way he could explain why he didn't want to live in close proximity to other Titans, especially not to Robin. But there was such a thing as going down fighting.

I don't see why you need me.

"A number of reasons. Firstly, you're already here, and from what I've heard you're well on the way to making a good name for yourself. Secondly, you showed great promise last year, when you helped us fight the Brotherhood of Evil, and thirdly, both Beast Boy and Raven suggested you. Independently."

Why did they do that? Jericho was surprised and a little flattered that two original Titans thought him worthy of joining a Tower.

"Beast Boy said that you were a real asset when he worked with you, and without you, the assault on the Brotherhood would have been impossible. He also seemed to like you, and thought you would work well with Herald."

And Raven?

"Raven said that you showed a lot of promise, and you would benefit greatly from a team setting. She was, in her words 'very impressed' with the way you fought in the battle against the Brotherhood."

…If I join, is my privacy assured? If he was going to join, it was going to be on _his_ terms.

"Of course. You don't have to tell us anything that you don't want to, as long as you're willing to be a Titan."

…Alright.

"Excellent. I thought it might be a good idea for you to meet your new teammates before you officially start up, so you can get to know them a little better. Herald is going to stop by tomorrow with the others. Is it okay if you all meet in your apartment?"

Jericho groaned inwardly. What had he let himself in for?

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"So, Jericho, I guess you want to be introduced to the guys?"

Jericho nodded, eying Killowat nervously. He'd positioned him in the corner, away from the steel of his guitar strings. Better safe than sorry.

"Yeah, so, you know me, so the only thing I'm gonna say for myself is that _I'm_ leader of this group. You know, just so ya know."

Jericho nodded.

"Well, I guess I'm up next." Killowat took the floor. "I control lightning and stuff. Stuff you need to know…stuff you need to know…aha! I need to earth myself at least once a day or bad things happen."

Jericho raised an eyebrow. Bad things? Such as?

"Uhh…little help?"

Herald sighed. "Sorry man, but Kil' here has been having trouble with the whole sign language thing. We're still working on it. Kil', he wants you to explain what "Bad things" you mean."

"Yeah…I can accidentally loose some of my power into the surroundings if I'm not careful. I'm also not allowed around live wires, in case I accidentally suck all the energy out of them."

Jericho nodded and smiled, then stuck out his hand. Well, if he was joining he might as well make some new friends. Killowat took the proffered hand without question, and Jericho felt a slight spark in his hand, similar to a static shock.

"Alright, then, next up is Hot Spot." Herald gestured towards a figure for whom the descriptor "red-head" would be, for once, completely accurate.

"Hey, man, we've met before, so there's not much need for formal introductions. Just wanna say that I think this'll be a great opportunity for all of us, especially you, man."

Jericho smiled again, and once again extended his hand. He regretted this course of action a moment later, when Hot Spot made contact. It was cooled than putting his hand on a hotplate, but that was all that could be said for it. Nonetheless, he continued smiling, even though the muscles in his neck tightened considerably. It would be cruel to avoid physical contact with his new teammate. It wasn't his fault that he was the way he was, after all.

"Alright, then I guess you should meet the last member of out little band," Herald grinned. It felt good talking to Jericho in music metaphors. "Argent."

"Evenin'." Jericho turned to see a Titan he didn't know, although he had caught glimpses of her in the battle. "Well, my job on this 'ere group is to keep you gents in order, if you know what I mean." Jericho wasn't sure he _did_ know what she meant, but beamed nonetheless. It was amazing how often that worked.

So, what can you do?

Argent opened her mouth, but Hot Spot was quick to interject. "He means your powers." He said with a warning look.

"Oh, right. I mean, that's what I meant too." Argent blushed slightly but continued. "Well, you know that Green Lantern guy?"

Oh yes. The one who makes things out of green energy?

"Yeah, that one. I can do that, but not as well as him. And my energy is red. Goes with my costume."

Alright, nice to meet you. Jericho shook her warmly by the hand.

So, where is the Tower going to be?

"Well, it's not technically a _Tower_ per se…" Herald gained an air similar to a stage magician about to unveil his greatest trick. "It would be easier if you just saw for yourself."


	3. Not Technically a Tower

**Chapter 3: Not Technically a Tower.**

Jericho stood slack-jawed, his gaze riveted on the edifice that was to be their new home. It wasn't a Tower, it was a large _hill_. The mound was large, but flattened near the top, where several small trees grew. Near the base of the hill was a large door, big enough for a man to walk through comfortably. A little way along was a double door, built into the hill as well, with a gravel road leading up to it. Several windows had been installed at various points on the hill.

"You like it?" Asked Herald, knowing full well what his answer would be. "I got the idea from _Lord of the Rings_. Most of it's actually underground, but all the bedrooms are in the hill, so they get some light. Well, except Argent's. She's put heavy curtains over her windows. Some days I swear she's just a wannabe Raven."

Jericho had to smile at this, and shook himself out of his reverie. It was beginning to look like he had made the right choice after all.

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Jericho was having doubts. As he unpacked his few possessions, placing his guitar stand by the window, a couple of books on the shelf, and sets of his uniform in the spacious cupboard, he had a horrible feeling that this was not going to last. He knew how the Titans worked. There was the main group. There were the satellite groups, three of them now, in the wake of the Brotherhood Crisis, as it had become known. And there were the Titans that would never join a group. Wildebeest. Jinx. Kid Flash. Gnnark. Kole. Bushido. Red Star (although the reasons why he qualified as a member were unclear to Jericho. The man had to be at least in his thirties). And Jericho. All these Titans functioned solo, or in groups of two. Self reliant. Alone. That was how he functioned. But Jericho knew that wasn't right. Despite his disability, he was a very social person, and his time alone had been torturous. But there was a reason for his solitude; oh there was a reason alright. Heaven help him if anyone found out…

And that was why he kept his distance. Eventually someone would do some digging, and it would all be over.

A sharp rapping on his door brought him back to reality.

"Hey, it's me. Can I come in?" Herald. Jericho wondered what he wanted, before knocking twice on his door in reply.

He waited for a few seconds, then opened the door.

"Oh! Sorry man, I thought two knocks meant 'no'." Herald grinned sheepishly and stepped into the room.

Jericho rolled his eyes. He really didn't like the knock system; it made him feel like he was a ghost at a séance, but they hadn't come up with a better system yet.

Yes? You want something?

"We're having a training session in five minutes. You _do_ remember where the Training Room is, right?

Yes. I only took the Grand Tour fifteen minutes ago. Jericho grinned at the memory of being dragged around his new home by Herald, who looked like a five year old at Christmas time.

"Cool. Shall we go, then?"

Alright.

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"Alright, guys, we'll start by pairing off against each other. I'll fight Hot Spot, Jericho can fight Killowat, and Argent will fight whoever wins first." Herald smiled as his team followed his orders dutifully. It was good to be the boss.

Killowat stood with his arms raised out in front of him, facing Jericho straight on. Jericho sighed. That had to be one of the _stupidest_ battle stances he had ever seen. The guy looked like a preacher or something.

"Alright, gents, ready, set, GO!" Argent stood back to let the battle commence. It was a good thing too, as the spot she had previously occupied was suddenly incinerated by a whiplash of flame. As the column of heat flew towards him, Herald merely smirked, pulled out his horn, twirled it like a gunfighter, and loosed a blast, warping the flame to another dimension. Hot Spot looked annoyed at this, and tried another one, only for Herald to disappear into another hole of his. Hot Spot looked around, nonplussed, but failed to check behind him, and got a boot to the back of the head for this error.

Argent grinned at this, and turned to the other pair. Except she couldn't see Jericho anywhere. She frowned at this, until she noticed one important detail.

Killowat was punching himself in the face. Hard.

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"You did pretty good there, guys." Herald smiled at his team, especially Jericho, who had gone undefeated. There had been a moment of consternation for him, when Hot Spot had figured out how his powers worked, and covered his eyes. Unfortunately, this meant that he couldn't see, and Jericho had found it most amusing to watch Hot Spot flail blindly with one hand, before his unguided fist had made contact. With the wall.

"Speak for yourself. I never knew I could dislocate my own jaw before."

"Oh, stop exaggerating, Kil'. You're just whiny 'cause you lost."

"Oh yeah? Well, I didn't see you fare any better, fire boy!"

"Well, at least I'm not complaining, ya walking spark plug!"

"Shut up!!" Herald held the floor. "Alright, let's try some unarmed and powerless combat." Who wants to volunteer for a demonstration?"

I'll do it.

"Alright, man, get into position."

However, their training session was interrupted by a klaxon's roar.

"Well, guys, looks like a spot of on the job training's on the cards today. Titans, GO!"


	4. Hammer and Sickle

**Chapter 4: Hammer and Sickle.**

Jericho shook his head as he stepped out onto the street, and vowed that he would _never_ get used to Herald's portals.

As he looked down the street, his gaze came to rest on two individuals, apparently intent on causing havoc. One, in the process of battering down a wall, was simply the _biggest_ man Jericho had ever seen. His huge size marked him out as a metahuman, with broad shoulders and a heavyset physique, but what really defined him were his hands, which had to be the size of wheelbarrows.

The other figure, busy chasing panicked shoppers, was almost his complete opposite. Emaciated and unnaturally tall, his sunken cheeks and hollow eyes made him look one step from the grave. One quite small step. His hands ended not in fingernails, but in long, thin claws, with which he was attempting to slash the civilians. Jericho jumped in surprise as he wildly swung, and his claws gouged a deep groove in a brick wall with no apparent effort.

"Alright, you knuckleheads! We can do this the easy way, or the hard way!" Herald decided that now was the time to make his prescence known.

The thin man froze, and alerted his counterpart. "Well, we'd hate to disappoint, so we'll pick the hard way." His voice was a handful of decibels above a whisper.

Herald sighed. "If you insist." He cleared his throat. "Can I convince you gentlemen to surrender?"

This was not quite what the miscreants had expected. "What?"

"Well, this _is _the hard way."

The thin man chuckled. "Well well, we got ourselves a comedian. Well we're Hammer and Sickle, and we're taking you down!"

"I see you got a friend there, Mr. Sickle. Can it talk?" Herald was enjoying himself _far_ too much.

The only response he got was a growl from Hammer.

"Guess not. I'll read you your rights slowly, then. Titans, GO!"

Hammer barrelled forwards, only to be met by a glowing red fist, courtesy of Argent. The others scattered, and Hot Spot sent a burst of flame billowing towards Sickle, who rolled out of the way with surprising grace. However, he failed to notice the blast of a horn, and got a huge electric shock as punishment for his lapse in concentration.

Meanwhile, Hammer was faring rather better. Argent was having trouble maintaining a shield, with Hammer's fists pounding on it. As Herald and Jericho ran to assist, they saw Hammer finally break a hole in the shield, which splintered like glass, and before she could react, Argent found herself grabbed by the collar and slammed into the remnants of her shield, stunning her. Herald, unsurprisingly, took exception to this, aiming a kick to Hammer's head. It connected, with a sickening crack and Jericho was sure he could see teeth flying, but the next moment Herald was caught in a vicelike grip. Jericho had had enough of this, and decided to get the lumbering giant's attention.

Sickle frowned, beads of perspiration forming on his brow. These diminutive, yet colourful, warriors were proving more of a challenge than he would have guessed. He flipped to the side to avoid another roving tongue of flame, and narrowly avoided a bolt of lightning. His concentration thus diverted, he couldn't react in time to the huge fist swinging at his head.

"Comrade! What are you doing?"

His only response was another fist, which he rolled sideways to avoid. Another blast of the horn, and Sickle suddenly found himself bound hand and foot by glowing red chains. As he tripped and fell, the last thing he saw before Herald's boot sent unconsciousness welling up inside him was a young blonde boy materialising in front of Hammer, as his erstwhile partner in crime was dispatched by a thunderbolt and fireball combo to the chest.

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"Good work guys. I think we just announced our arrival."

I've been here for months, you do realise.

"Yeah, but that's not the point."

"So, who's up for lunch?" Hot Spot asked, hope palpable in his voice.

"I think we can allow ourselves that luxury. Anyone know a place?"

There's a nice burger place just around the corner.

"Sounds good to me."

"Everything sounds good to you, Spot."

"What? A man's gotta eat."

"And how would you know?" Argent smirked.

Jericho silently chortled at this.

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It had been three weeks. In those weeks, Jericho had decided that agreeing to join the team was the best decision he had ever made. The others were great company to be around, they were working together fantastically, the public was behind them (although some of the letters he was getting from the fangirls were…perplexing, to say the least), and in Herald he'd even found someone who could appreciate his music.

At the moment he was sitting on top of the hill, a spot he had quickly claimed as his own, watching the clouds go by as he played. He often came here. It reminded him of his mountain, with the added bonus that he could leave whenever he wanted. His peace was disrupted by Argent, who poked her head up from the hatch that led into the base itself.

"Oi, mate. Herald wants everyone in the main room. Let's go."

Jericho nodded to her, and climbed down the ladder, his instrument in hand.


	5. Progress Reports and Fanboy Moments

**Chapter 5: Progress Reports and Fanboy Moments**

"So, what's up, boss man?" Killowat looked grumpy, and Jericho guessed that it was because he had been woken up by the summons. Jericho waved good morning to him, and got a tired grunt in reply.

"Well, guys, it seems that Robin, stickler for routine that he is, wants to arrange a meeting with us, to see how we're functioning as a team, that kind of thing." Killowat was suddenly much more alert.

"The original Titans? We're gonna go hang out with the _original five_? That is so freaking cool!"

Argent tried- not very hard- to hide a grin, while Hot Spot merely commented "Alright, enough with the fanboy moment, Kil'."

"Yeah, well, just 'cause you've met them before."

"Yep. Fought Robin too, in some kind of skewey tournament. He kicked my ass, but I still fought him."

"Have you met them, Argent?"

"Yep. Starfire gave me my communicator."

"Yeah, but, did you talk?"

"A bit. Why? Someone must have given you yours."

"Yeah, Raven. But it was like, 'You Killowat?' and I was like 'Yeah', and she was like 'You wanna join the Titans?' and I was like 'Hells _yeah_' and she was like 'Here's your communicator' and I was like 'Thanks' and then she vanished. No one paid me much attention after the Brotherhood crisis, either."

"Killowat?"

"Yes, boss man?"

"Shut up. And stop calling me that."

"Yes, boss man." Killowat replied with a grin.

Herald pointedly ignored him. Anyway, in a week, we're going to Jump for the day. You guys are probably gonna be free, but I'm gonna go over leadery stuff with Robin." He grimaced at this. It was not going to be fun.

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Jericho had misgivings about visiting Jump- after all, that was where _he_ lived. The man who haunted his dreams. The one-eyed monster of a man. Dad. However, he couldn't say he didn't want to go, or his friends would ask why. And the answer was one he could never give. After all, how could he tell them that he was the son of an international assassin? Impossible. He sighed and continued packing.

Knock Knock.

"Jeri, you ready? We gotta go, Herald doesn't want to be late."

Jericho briefly wondered how a man that possessed a handheld teleportation device could be worried about being late, but he dismissed it as a leader thing. He opened the door and saw Hot Spot looking anxious.

Are you alright?

"Yeah, man, just a little nervous, that's all."

Why?

"Well, the last time I saw Robin, I let Madame Rouge beat the crap out of me, which meant that she got a communicator, which led to the whole Brotherhood Crisis."

So you're worried they'll blame you?

"Yeah, kinda."

Don't worry about it, I'm sure you'll be fine. It wasn't your fault.

"Yeah, but-"

They won't blame you. If they blamed you, would they let you on this team?

"I guess not. Thanks, man."

Anytime. Now let's go.

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As Jericho stepped through the portal, he was immediately snatched into a vicelike grip that threatened to squeeze the life out of him. As blackness began to well up behind his eyes, and he was flailed around like a rag doll, he faintly heard a voice.

"Errr, Star? You remember that 'Breathing' thing we talked about?"

Immediately he felt the pressure lessen, and a frantic voice yelled platitudes into his ear, whilst setting him down. He reacted as best he could, by patting the apologetic girl on the head and smiling, albeit weakly.

As the rest of the team stepped through, Herald noted Jericho's state and smirked. "That's why I didn't go first."

The introductions were exchanged, a formality in many cases, although there was a minor moment of embarrassment when Killowat's static handshake caused Robin's hair to stand up even more than usual, something Beast Boy had to lie down to recover from.

"So, Jericho, how've you been? Haven't seen you for a while."

Jericho smiled. He liked Beast Boy. He was the first person who'd ever climbed his mountain, and his respect for the green youth had increased tenfold during the Brotherhood Crisis.

Well, thanks. And you? Jericho just hoped that he'd practiced American Sign, like he'd promised he would.

"Not too bad, thanks. Been a bit quiet, with most of the villains on ice, but I'm not complaining."

Jericho grinned. You got any food? I missed breakfast.

"Right this way, dude."


	6. The Mall of Shopping

**Chapter 6: The Mall of Shopping**

"Hey man, this is kinda boring." Beast Boy sidled up to Jericho. "What you say a bunch of us go into town for a while? I know you and Killowat haven't seen Jump before, maybe you want the grand tour?"

"Oh yes, friend, and perhaps we can venture into the Mall of Shopping? I have not visited for quite some time."

That could be nice.

"Yeah, I'm in. Just clear it with the Boss men first."

"No worries, Killowat." Beast Boy grinned and turned to his leader. "Hey, Robin!"

"Yes, Beast Boy?" Robin turned his head from the plans he and Herald were poring over.

"What you say me an' Star give Jericho and Killowat a tour of Jump? I mean, we're all pretty bored just watching you talk."

Robin smiled; glad to have an excuse to get such a distraction out of his hair. "Sure, I don't see why not."

"Awesome! Let's go, guys!" The four leapt up, suddenly infused with the energy that they had been missing for the last few hours.

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"…And _this_ shop is an emporium for footwear, of which I am especially fond, and in this one I found a wonderful birthday present for Robin, and…"

Jericho sighed, and looked over at his fellow sufferers. Killowat looked ready to collapse under the weight of Starfire's verbal battery, but Beast Boy looked completely fine. Jericho supposed that he was used to such things by now.

"...and this one is a delightful shop full of musical instruments."

Wait, what?

"A music shop, Jeri."

Could we have a look for a minute?

"But of course, friend." Starfire grabbed his hand and physically dragged him in. He wondered why she did that. It wasn't like he didn't want to go. But she seemed intent on making sure that her guests did not slip away, a habit that must have been born from years of going to the Mall with a highly reluctant companion.

He allowed his eyes to rove in their sockets as he stepped into the shop. He rarely had the chance to visit a music shop, and he was going to make the most of it. All the Titans darted off to different corners of the shop. Starfire flew began pestering the hapless attendant for some esoteric Tameranean instrument, Beast Boy, to Jericho's surprise, headed towards the sheet music, while Killowat hung around the entrance, unsure what to do with himself. Music wasn't really his thing.

Jericho, however, knew exactly where he was going: the acoustic guitar section.

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"Tell me Beast Boy, where is friend Jericho?"

"I think he's still by the guitars, Star."

"He has been a very long time. Do you think he is alright?"

"What's the worst that could happen?"

"Well, he could-"

Whatever far-fetched idea Killowat had was fated to remain unrevealed, as Jericho took that moment to emerge, unscathed.

"Tell me, friend, what have you elected to purchase?"

Jericho grinned and held up a small object between finger and thumb.

"A plectrum? That's _it_?"

Yes. What did you get?

Beast Boy held up his book proudly. "_Film Themes Classic and Modern- Scored for Tuba._" Jericho gave him a blank look. "What? The tuba's a great instrument!"

Jericho merely rolled his eyes.

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Robin staggered back, landing a lucky blow on one of his assailants as he did so, knocking the man to his knees. Several attackers lay comatose at his feet, a testament to his ferocious skill. But it wasn't enough. He had been at this for ten minutes now, ever since the mysterious enemies had burst through the door of the Tower. In those ten minutes, he had gone from confidently seeing off whichever nutcases had dared to attack the Titans, to fighting a desperate rearguard battle in the hallway leading to the roof, where Cyborg was desperately trying to raise their missing teammates.

Robin cursed under his breath. Whoever these guys were, it was clear they had done their homework from the way they had shut the Titans down with ruthless efficiency, knocking out Herald and Raven as soon as they broke in, negating any chance of escape. Bringing his staff down on another goon's head, he accounted for the Titans in is head. Herald. Brought down with a tranquiliser dart to the neck. Raven. Hopefully alive, Robin had last seen her going down, knocked out by a gun butt to the head. Hot Spot. Fighting by Robin's side. Argent. Unconscious at Robin's feet, he and Hot Spot guarding her as best they could. Cyborg. On the roof, because the signal was clearer there, trying to reach their friends. Beast Boy. Killowat. Jericho. Starfire. All safe, out in the city. At least Starfire was safe. Maybe she could-

Hot Spot saw, out of the corner of his eye, Robin go down to the tranquiliser darts. Shit. What was he going to do now? He couldn't use his powers properly; he'd burn the Tower to the ground, and his friends along with it. He frowned. Time for something a little _unorthodox_. He raised his right hand, palm flat towards his enemies, and made a sweeping motion from left to right. Immediately, a searing wall of flame appeared, blocking the corridor from his attackers. Making full use of the diversion, he slung Argent over his shoulder, but had to resort to dragging Robin by his cape. Never had Hot Spot been so thankful that Wildebeest had declined the offer to join the team. Now, if he could just get to the roof…


	7. Deal With the Devil

**Chapter 7: Deal With the Devil**

"…Breaking News, Titans Tower has come under attack from a mysterious band of assailants. Bobby Telewieger is live at the scene."

"Thanks Linda. As you can see from our vantage point in the helicopter, the remaining Titans appear to have gathered on the roof, but have been followed by several of the men. We can't get any closer, as these men are armed and dangerous, but it's clear the situation is grim."

The Titans stared, horrified, in the shop window at one of the televisions, watching the dispassionate report of the invasion of their home.

"Beast Boy, we must do something! Our friends-"

"Have been captured."

Jericho tensed. He knew that voice. _No, not now, not here…_

Beast Boy snarled as he turned to face the owner of the voice. "Slade…"

_Not him._

However, the visage that greeted them was unfamiliar. Beast Boy found himself staring at a man in his mid fifties, with a shock of shoulder-length white hair and a neat goatee, which combined with an eyepatch to make him look quite dashing. He wore a sombre, dark grey suit that failed to mask his powerful physique. "None other."

"What have you done with our friends?" Starfire's eyes began to glow menacingly, as the other Titans began to take up battle stances.

"Now, now, don't jump to conclusions. Besides, I, as far as the civilian population know, am just an innocent bystander. How would it look if I was suddenly attacked by four gallant heroes?" Slade smirked as he said this.

"He's got a point." Killowat admitted grudgingly. "So what do you want?"

"Your friends have been taken by a mercenary known as the Jackal. He will almost certainly be coming after you next. If you want to survive, I suggest you listen closely. He will take your friends to his base of operations. I can guide you to it, on the condition that you leave the Jackal to_ me_."

Beast Boy looked conflicted. "Team meeting?" The Titans huddled together.

"Well, what do you think? Star?"

"I think he is a bad man, and we would be foolish to trust him. However, if we do not, then I see no way to rescue our friends."

"She's got a point. I say we do it, just so long as we keep an eye on him. What you say, Jer, Kil'?"

Jericho shrugged, far too nonchalantly to be convincing, while Killowat reluctantly nodded.

"Okay, then, that's what we'll do."

"Friend, we need to determine who will lead us on this mission."

Jericho immediately pointed at Beast Boy.

"You wish for Beast Boy to lead? Beast Boy, will you accept this role?"

"…Okay, I guess." He broke apart from the group, and turned to Slade. "We'll accept your offer."

"Excellent."

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"Would anyone like a cup of tea?"

Beast Boy shook his head. This had to be one of the most surreal situations he had ever been in. Slade had led them back to one of his many lairs and disappeared, ostensibly to change, but had left them in the care of his butler, who was standing before them, offering them tea. Unbelievable.

"So, what can you do?" Beast Boy sidled over to a nervous Killowat, who was engrossed in eying the shadows.

"Don't you know already?"

"Kinda, but if there's anything specific, if might help."

"Well, I can manipulate lightning, and I can drain it out of electrical appliances."

"Neat." Said Beast Boy, filing this away for later. He looked over at the other members of his band. Jericho looked uneasy, and Beast Boy couldn't really blame him. He was a bundle of nerves himself. Starfire, however, was pacing up and down, muttering to herself in Tameranean, and Beast Boy was fairly sure he knew what was on her mind. Heaven help the Jackal if Robin was found in anything less than pristine condition…

"How long is this guy gonna be? We've been here, like, twenty minutes."

"The master wishes to be fully prepared. It is not my place to say, but he and the Jackal have something of a history." Wintergreen drawled. Raven could have taken lessons in deadpan from him. Suddenly, a masked figure appeared from the shadows behind him.

"It's time to go, Titans."

Beast Boy shuddered. How the _hell_ did he do that?

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"…Coming to." Raven clutched at her temple, where a large bruise was forming. What had happened? The tower had been attacked, but where was she now? And why hadn't her healing powers kicked in?

"What happened?" She tried to sit up too quickly, and was rewarded with a rush of dizziness.

"Take it easy. You took a nasty knock to the head." That voice. It had to be Cyborg.

"Cyborg, what happened?" Raven focussed her eyes on her friend. He did not look happy.

"We got taken down."

"Who by?"

"Some guy calling himself the Jackal. Had a lot of guys, too. They broke through and beat us, and now…" He waved a huge hand around, Raven's eyes following.

They were in a small cage. Outside she could see two others, each containing two Titans. Hot Spot and Robin. Herald and Argent. The room they were in was pitch black, the only illuminated areas being the cages themselves. Nonetheless, Raven got the sense of enormous space. It seemed that the cages were in a hall of some kind.

"Where are the others?"

"They were out in the city, remember? We can only hope that they can find us."

"And so do I, my dear boy." Cyborg was cut off by a bombastic voice, and he turned to see their captor.

He was a large man, not exactly fat, but he didn't have a bodybuilder's physique either. The effect reminded Raven, in her still-dazed state, of a shaved bear. He had a shock of black hair, and a scruffy, full beard. He was slightly smirking. Raven didn't like that smirk.

"Azerath Metrion Zinthos!!" Raven shot a hand towards the man, concentrating on sending him flying. And that's exactly what didn't happen. In fact, the only discernable effect was that his smirk widened by several centimetres, and he tapped the middle of his forehead. Raven imitated his action, to find a small electrical device covering her _chakra_. The Jackal chuckled at her obvious fury, and swaggered out of the side door he had entered by, leaving his captives alone with their despair.


	8. Family Reunion

**Chapter 8: Family Reunion**

"Joseph…" Jericho shuddered as he heard the voice murmur his name. He'd known this was coming since he heard that man's voice. But that didn't mean he had to accept it.

I have nothing to say to you.

"Listen then." Slade said. Jericho supposed he had no real choice, but slowed down, dropping behind the others in the procession. Slade had directed them to a run-down area of Jump, several miles from the tower, and his input wasn't necessary until they neared the location of the base.

"I know you don't want to hear this, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

I don't believe you.

"I don't expect you to, nor do I expect you to understand. But ever since your mother took my eye, I have done all I could to keep you and Rose safe."

And how have you done that?

"Leaving you on that mountain was a difficult decision, Joseph, but one I had to make. You would never have chosen the life that Rose took. You take after your mother in that respect." To the casual listener, Slade sounded as if he were discussing nothing more important than the time of day.

And how is Rose, since you bring her up?

"Showing great promise. She grows stronger by the day."

You haven't answered my question.

"Indeed. Leaving you on the mountain kept you alive and as intact as you could be. Once the Titans started to increase their ranks, I knew it was a matter of time before you were discovered. Keep them close, they will be a far better family than I could ever provide."

Jericho was conflicted. This was the closest by far that Slade had ever got to showing compassion, and Jericho didn't know what to do about it. On the one hand, he did not like this feeling of anger- after all, who wishes to hate their own family- but equally, he was painfully aware that the man was duplicitous in the extreme.

Why should I trust you?

"I'm not asking you to. I just want you to know that I'm proud of you." And with that, Slade increased his pace, directing the group into the mouth of an alley, leaving Jericho very much confused.

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"It's here."

"Here? There's nothing here!" Killowat, being less versed in the field of supervillainy, had not yet grasped the concept of _secrecy_ in secret lairs.

"Nothing you can see. Look over there."

Killowat grudgingly followed the villain's gaze to a small doorway in the warehouse opposite, and was surprised to see an armed guard exit, cigarette in hand.

"Security's a little tight for an abandoned warehouse, wouldn't you say?" Killowat merely nodded in response.

"Alright, so here's the plan. Jeri, I need you to take control of that guard."

Nothing simpler. Jericho was glad to have a distraction from his thoughts, and ran towards the guard, whistling to catch his eye. A brief flash from his eyes later, and the guard suddenly spat out his cigarette and walked over to the group.

"Alright, I'm in control."

"Does this guy know where our friends are?" Beast Boy had a steely glint in his eye that would have startled his casual acquaintances.

"Yes, but security's tight around them. I can't see a way to free them on my own."

Beast Boy was silent for a moment. "Then we need to know more. Jeri, you and I are going scouting. I'll investigate the more heavily guarded areas, while you stay by the prisoners- try to get word to them without attracting too much attention."

"I know just the thing." Jericho smiled. It felt good to talk again, even if it was in this sandpaper growl.

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Starfire and Killowat were not happy, for several reasons. Firstly, they felt like they were useless, sitting in the alley with a notorious criminal while their friends risked life and limb. Secondly, Starfire was beginning to worry; Jericho and Beast Boy had been gone far too long for her liking, and Killowat was beginning to get anxious- this was, after all, the most important mission he had ever gone on, and performance anxiety was kicking in with a vengeance. Starfire was about to suggest going after them when a guard walked over to them, with a green bird on his shoulder. Suddenly Jericho materialised, and the guard dropped to his knees, unconscious.

"Friends, you have returned! What did you discover?"

The cages are protected by several highly advanced and lethal security systems. We can't get close.

"However, these systems rely on a generator, deep underground. If you can get to it, Kil' could you drain its power?"

"Not a problem, honorary boss man. But how am I gonna get to it? It's gonna be pretty heavily guarded."

"That's where Star, myself and Slade come in. We're gonna act as a diversion, drawing as many of the guards away from the halls as possible."

What about me?

"First thing, you're gonna possess another guard, and stay near as you can to the prisoners. Dude, you're gonna be our secret weapon. Everyone got that?" The others nodded. "Alright, let's go."


	9. Showdown

**Chapter 9: Showdown.**

Beast Boy padded down the corridor, Starfire floating on his left, Slade taking point, bo drawn. Ten minutes had passed since Jericho had pounced on an unsuspecting guard, and in ten minutes Killowat would begin his descent to the generator. If Beast Boy had not caused enough ruckus by then, Killowat would be walking into a deathtrap. And it would be _his_ fault. Beast Boy gulped. Now he remembered why he hated the whole 'leader' thing. _Way _too much responsibility. He was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of footsteps from an adjoining corridor. He motioned for Starfire to stop and thought about what he could change into. He decided on a dilophosaurus; there was something about a long-dead predator charging at you that broke the morale of the average grunt. As the guard patrol turned the corner, Beast Boy felt the fire coursing through his body that signified a change, and he noticed Starfire's eyes begin to glow. As he completed his change, he turned back to the guards.

Three of them were on the floor, unconscious. The fourth was upright, but only because Slade's staff was pinning him to the wall. As he withdrew his weapon, and the man crumpled like a paper mannequin, he turned to the heroes, amusement twinkling in his one eye, disconcerting on the sinister visage.

"We're wasting time."

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Jericho stood idle, as the door took a retinal scan. Satisfied, it allowed him access, and he stepped through into the cavernous room that contained the cages.

He paced past his comrades, forcing himself to keep his eyes straight ahead. He wondered how best to send word to his friends, when inspiration struck. He walked up to the nearest cage- Hot Spot and Robin, and, standing with his back to the cage, hands behind his back, he deliberately bunched his right hand into a fist, extending his little finger. He did the same to each cage then left to stand 'guard' outside, praying his teammates had got the message.

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Hot Spot and Robin shared a look, Robin noting the relief shining in the hero's eyes. They were not abandoned.

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Argent and Herald grinned to themselves, reassured that they were close to rescue, but chose to remain silent. Who knew who might be listening?

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"…Cyborg?"

"Yeah Raven?"

"Did you notice what that guard was doing?"

"You mean the weird hand thing?"

"Yeah. What do you think it meant?"

"How should I know? Might not mean anything."

"Hmm. Could you give me a hand here?" Raven was running her hands along the bars, searching for any weak points that could facilitate a breakout.

"Wish I could, but I can't move. They drained my power cells. The only thing keeping me alive is this." He looked at a thin cable attached to his chest. "They're feeding me just enough power to keep my life support systems running, but nothing else."

Raven frowned. "So what can we do?"

"I don't know. I just don't know."

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Starfire floated along the corridor, two starbolts at the ready, keeping a watchful eye on all the side doors. It had been five minutes. Time was running out. Suddenly, the trio found themselves in a huge room, lit only by the fire surrounding her hands. As she peered into the shadows, she saw at the far end of the room a raised dais, something like a stage, with three undefined objects on it. Suddenly the room was flooded with a brilliant glare as every light came on simultaneously, disorienting Starfire. As the spots faded from her eyes, she, along with her companions, found her attention drawn to a man who had appeared on the platform with what were now revealed to be cages.

Starfire gasped. "Friends!" She flew towards them, but was impeded by a vicelike grip on her ankle. She twisted, only to find herself in the hypnotic gaze of Slade.

"Don't. It's almost certainly what he wants you to do."

Starfire frowned, unable to trust the man that had been the cause of so much pain, especially to Robin. Nonetheless, she landed. It would not do to fight this man as well, if it could be avoided.

"Well, well well. Deathstroke the Terminator, this _is _a surprise." The Jackal's voice was booming and sounded as insufferably arrogant as its owner looked.

Slade's reply was deadpan. "I dropped that pretentious moniker a long time ago."

"Yes, along with that rather dashing costume. I miss that costume. What with the big leather boots and the headscarf style mask, you looked quite the swashbuckler."

"You've changed as well. I'm glad to see you are no longer desecrating Grant's name."

"You know I only called myself that to vex you. But enough with this reminiscing, as pleasant as it is. Men, remove them." As he called, a veritable swarm of men burst from several side doors. Starfire gasped at the sheer volume of enemies, and Beast Boy growled deep in his throat as he shifted his stance, hunched over, feet splayed, ready to shift at a moment's notice. But Slade didn't seem to register them at all.

"I know it doesn't really work, but I just gotta say it." Beast Boy muttered as the two sides squared up. "Titans, GO!"

And battle was joined.


	10. Power Trip

**Chapter 10: Power Trip.**

Killowat paced down the corridor. At least he was on the right floor now, and resistance had been minimal; whatever Beast Boy's team was doing, it seemed to be working. Killowat froze at the low murmur of voices in the next room. It seemed to be a guard break room, or something. In any case, he needed to go through there for the quickest route to the generator. He stopped and listened outside the door, remembering Herald's lesson that it was always a good idea to gauge an opponent's strength before engaging.

"What you think's going on upstairs?"

"Dunno. Maybe one of those freaks got out or something. Anyways, they got enough guys to take care of it."

"Amen to that."

Killowat smiled. At least three, no more than about five, probably. Not a problem. He kicked the double doors open and strode through, looking as menacing as he could. It isn't hard when you're glowing blue and crackling.

"Hiya fellas." Being new to the hero gig, Killowat felt he could get away with stealing his cheesy lines from films for the moment. He adopted his usual stance, arms spread, fingers splayed. Bolts of lightning jumped from his outspread hands, sending one guard flying into a wall and another, unluckier, guard into three other guards, a table, the coffee machine, a television set that had been balanced on a crate, and, eventually, the wall. The last guard suddenly felt very alone. With a half convincing battle cry, he charged towards the Titan, who extended his arm, palm flat and fingers pointing to the ceiling. He pushed the man with no discernable force, but his pent up electrical energy was enough to send the man flying to join his compatriots.

"Oooh, yeah." Now _this_ was the sort of heroing he had signed up for.

He opened a door opposite the one he had entered by, and continued towards the generator.

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Robin was impressed. When Starfire and Beast Boy had burst in, shortly after Jericho had made his presence known, he had felt a surge of hope, but when he saw who had accompanied them, panic rose in his chest. What the hell was _he_ doing here? However, the brief exchange between the Jackal and Slade had eased his mind slightly: clearly the two men were not on the best of terms, and that could be helpful. But now, seeing his friends combat an endless swarm of guards…

They were doing quite well, to say the least.

Starfire had elected to remain overhead and provide aerial support. She flew over the guards, just high enough that she _seemed_ within striking distance, but high up enough to stay out of immediate danger. Her volleys of Starbolts were far more accurate than he had ever seen from her, and the look of grim determination on her face was alien to him.

Beast Boy was equally surpassing his expectations. His shifts were lightning fast. One second a hummingbird flew into a group of soldiers, only for it to shift into an ankylosaurus, which would spin on its axis, knocking the hapless men into the air, only for the dinosaur to shift into a gorilla, pounding on the guards that remained in the area as others rained down around him. And as for Slade…

Slade was a force of nature. He left a trail of unconscious guards in his wake as he ploughed towards the balcony. Robin had thought he had seen Slade at his most dangerous. It was clear now that he had been _far_ from the mark there.

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Jericho was worried. He felt that he wasn't pulling his weight, letting his friends fight while he stood and watched. He looked around, desperate for something that he could do to help. As he looked around, he saw what he was looking for, and slowly edged towards it, hoping against hope that he wasn't noticed before he got there.

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Killowat stood in front of the generator. He had removed part of the panelling, and several of the cables lay exposed in front of him.

"Here goes nothing…" said Killowat as he grabbed the cables with both hands and focussed.

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Jericho had made his way to the console without incident. Perfect. Quickly, he identified the correct handle and pulled down on it. Immediately, all the doors sealed themselves, and were quickly reinforced with blast plates. Emergency lockdown. Now no more guards could join the battle. All that was needed now was for Killowat to disable the generator.

As if on cue, the computer monitors fizzled and died, and the hum of the cages was cut out. Perfect.

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Killowat wanted to run. He wanted to jump, to dance, to sing, anything! He hadn't felt this good in…_ever_! Turning to the door, he saw it had been sealed shut. Oh well, no problem.

Two seconds later, the door was smoking, crumpled, blackened, and embedded in the opposite wall. Killowat smirked. Now _this _was a power trip. He twisted his head slightly as he saw a squad of guards ran towards him. They slowed as they noticed how brightly he was glowing. They stopped when they noted the fact that he was literally _pulsing_ with energy. They took a step back when they realised his feet weren't actually touching the floor. They turned tail and ran when he looked at them and smiled.


	11. Babe

**Chapter 11: Babe.**

The Jackal was worried. Raven could feel it. She wasn't sure why he had suddenly had an anxiety attack, but she knew she would be worried too if she was the focus of the cold, visceral fury that was pouring from Slade like a tsunami. The more specific reason for his worry became apparent when the computer banks simultaneously died, the security around the cages along with them. Even the infernal gadget clutching remora-like to her head dropped off. She grinned. Karma was with her again. With a wave of her hand, their cage was ripped from the floor and hurled unceremoniously at a guard. She turned to Cyborg with a smile, only for it to whither and drop to the floor as she saw the panic in his eyes.

"Uh oh. My power's died. I'm gonna go off line any second."

Raven frowned, trying desperately to see a way to recharge her companion, but was distracted by the twin threats of approaching soldiers, and a rapidly heating floor.

Wait…a heating floor?

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"Wahoooo!!!" Killowat had grown tired of wandering through corridors, and when he'd discovered that all the elevators were offline, he had decided to take a more direct route. Smashing through the floor, he positioned himself in midair so that he could get a good look at the surroundings.

"Killowat, isn't it?"

"The one and only, babe." Killowat grinned. He knew Raven's reputation enough to know that riling her like that was rarely a good idea, but right now he didn't care. Right now he was on top of the world.

"I'd kill you for that if I didn't need your help. Can you recharge Cyborg?"

"No problemo, babe."

"Call me that again and I'll reverse your polarity."

Killowat gulped. "You can do that?"

"Do you want to find out?"

Wordlessly, Killowat gripped the cable attached to Cyborg's chest. Immediately, the blue sections of his body glowed, and Cyborg leapt to his feet.

"Alright, now _that's_ the stuff!"

"Indeed. Now, shall we help our friends?"

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Beast Boy surveyed the scene, and grinned. Everything was coming together. Killowat and Jericho were getting the others out of their cages, and the number of conscious guards was much lower than earlier. He saw one, a giant of a man, clearly a meta. Quickly, he shifted into a rhino and thundered towards him.

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Robin gave Jericho a short smile and a nod when he was freed from his bonds, and surveyed the scene. The Jackal had moved to another spot, surrounded by his guards. Starfire was still safe, and was flying towards Robin. Slade was still hammering his was through the hapless minions.

There. A green rhino, charging towards a large metahuman. Robin inwardly groaned. That man was obviously strong enough to make a direct assault foolhardy in the extreme. Beast Boy was due for a beating. What happened next surprised Robin, although in retrospect it shouldn't have. The boy had been trained by the Doom Patrol, after all.

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The green rhino lumbered towards the man, noting his smug grin as he shifted his stance, arms spread, legs too, shifting his centre of balance. Excellent. Seconds before he connected, he shifted back into a human and lay down, using all his built up momentum to slide between his adversaries' legs. Taking full advantage of his foe's confusion, he turned into an orang-utan, using the simian's long arms to grab the man's neck and send him toppling backwards.

"Nicely done, little man."

"Cyborg! Alright, let's finish these bozos."

"With pleasure."

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The Jackal cast his eyes around nervously. The ground was littered with the bodies of his mercenary army, in various stages of consciousness, none above 'wisely faking catatonia'. If he just edged to the left slightly, then he could-

No. He was the Jackal, and he would _not_ run. At least, not until he settled the scores with his old friend. The Jackal sighed. In the end, he had always known that this was how it would end, from the moment he'd seen that damn one-eyed freak walk through the door. Picking up a blade from one of the guards, he tossed it to his nemesis, who caught it without looking.

"Come on, Deathstroke! You and me, just like old times! It'll be _fun_!"


	12. Just Like Old Times

**Chapter 12: Just Like Old Times.**

When it came to anger, Raven was a connoisseur. She had felt anger in all its forms, thanks to her empathetic nature; the blazing, frustrated rage that crackled from Robin whenever he tangled with Slade, the righteous fury that pulsed from Starfire in the heat of battle, even, on rare occasions, a fierce, primal wrath that rolled from Beast Boy's room in the dead of night. The wrath of demons was not unknown to her.

However, she had never met anyone that got angry like Slade. If the anger of her father was a volcano, a deadly, explosive force that affected everyone nearby without prejudice, then Slade's anger was a river of flame. Smooth. Controlled. Focussed. Deadly. As Raven watched the duel, it occurred to her that the Jackal was already dead. He just hadn't stopped moving yet.

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Robin watched the battle in something approaching awe. He had heard stories of Deathstroke the Terminator, but they were few and far between. One thing that he had heard for certain was that the man had once fought Batman to a standstill, and judging by this performance, it was easy to see how.

The Jackal was twisting and turning, performing acrobatic feats that belied his huge bulk. Slade, however, was barely moving. The Jackal would swing his sword at Slade's neck, only to be met by empty air, Slade having taken an imperceptibly small step backwards. The Jackal would whirl his blade in a dozen feints, all of which were ignored, only to have the assassin block his one true strike. Robin suddenly noticed what was strange about this battle: Slade had yet to attack his opponent. Robin frowned; this was _not_ a good sign.

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"C'mon, Deathstroke, do your worst!" The Jackal was becoming aggravated.

Silence.

"What, no witty banter? No condescending sneering?"

Slade was silent as the grave.

"Is the legendary Terminator losing his edge?" The Jackal hoped to goad Slade into a response, so his attention would be divided. No dice. Angered, the Jackal did something very, very stupid.

"How's Joseph, anyway?" The Jackal sneered; he'd seen the way Slade's neck muscles had tightened at that comment, and decided to push it further.

"You know, I always regretted what happened that night. I shoulda been there. To make sure he'd died _properly_." The Jackal couldn't suppress a grin, and continued to sign his own death warrant. "In fact, once we're done here, I might just finish the job. Too bad he can't scream no more-"

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Afterwards, none of the assembled Titans could attest to seeing Slade _move_. One second, Cyborg had seen Slade standing 6.2351. feet away from the Jackal, then, as soon as the mercenary had threatened someone called Joseph- who he was only God knew- and 0.327 seconds later Slade was standing above the Jackal, who was on his hands and knees, clutching at his throat. Watching his life drain away onto the floor. Within a few seconds, the man had crumpled to the ground, and Slade had dropped the sword like it was something distasteful. The clatter of metal on metal had been a signal to snap the assorted heroes out of their horrified paralysis, and they closed in on the one eyed villain. As soon as they neared, the man had dropped a smoke bomb and vanished in the resultant confusion.


	13. Frayed Ends

**Chapter 13: Frayed Ends.**

Jericho sat on the roof, watching the stars. He had a lot to think about. Most of his energy was devoted to worrying about whether or not anyone picked up on the identity of "Joseph". He hoped it had been missed, but he doubted it. He spotted a green hawk swinging up to the roof from across the water, and Beast Boy landed, taking a few steps to absorb the momentum of flight.

Hi.

"Hi, Jer."

Find anything?

"Nope. The guy's vanished again."

Oh.

There was an awkward silence between them for a few moments.

"I hope you don't mind me saying it, but he's your father, isn't he?"

Jericho sat up in shock. Oh crap. No use denying it, though.

How did you know?

Beast Boy gave a small grin. "These ears aren't just for show, ya know."

Jericho winced as Beast Boy looked about to continue. Here it comes, he thought, grimly.

"Cool." Beast Boy punctuated this with a shrug.

Jericho frowned. What?

"What you want me to say?"

I…never mind.

"Look, dude, I know you must be a little edgy talking about this, and it's your secret to tell, so I won't spill."

Thank you.

"However, if you ever _do_ want to talk about it, I'd suggest telling Raven."

Why her?

Beast Boy smiled slightly. "It's not my secret to tell, dude. But trust me, she'll understand."

Jericho didn't understand, but he got the feeling he didn't have to.

Thanks. Good night.

"G'night, dude." With that Beast Boy climbed down the stairs to his room, leaving Jericho to think, considerably less gloomy than before.

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It had been three weeks. Three weeks of 'normality'. Killowat had eventually come down off his energy high, much to his chagrin. A new villain had plagued Titans South, a raggedy man with pan pipes- apparently he could control rats, and for some reason he thought that qualified him for supervillainy. He had been proven wrong quite quickly. Jericho looked around at the team gathered in the common room. Hot Spot and Killowat were arguing, again. This time it seemed to be something to do with which incarnation of Deep Purple was the best, or something like that. Deep Purple. Maybe that was some kind of code. Herald was watching the two with amused indifference, and Argent was giving Jericho that look again. He wasn't entirely sure what she was thinking when she looked at him like that, but something told him he'd like the answer. As he looked around his base- his _home_, and saw his friends- his _family_, they were now, he felt that joining the team was the best mistake he'd ever made.

_**End.**_

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**And that's all, folks. My first story, finished. I might refine it someday, but nothing major. Anyhoo, thanks to Comicbookfan for starting this contest, and I hope that someone reads this and thinks **_**"I can write a better story than this crap with my eyes closed."**_** If you think this, then talk to Comicbookfan and prove your mighty writing skills. Bring it on, chumps.**

**MNBP**


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